Alaska DIY Caribou Hunt - Arctic Air

[KChunter71]

In every single business-type known to man you'll find good and bad operations. You wouldn't take your child to a so-so surgeon for a tumor removal. You'd do your homework and search for the BEST surgeon available. But when we start talking auto repair, restaurants, building contractors, and hunt outfitters / transporters....we often seem to think a few basic questions are enough and if someone else got lucky, so will we. I did that once on a British Columbia hunt and got burned so badly it changed my entire outlook on booking any type of hunting services. Unfortunately, reports of someone killing great animals tends to put stars in our eyes and remove reasonable doubt from our minds.

Using the restaurant analogy: You can take your wife there for an anniversary dinner even though it has a number of legitimate negative reviews. You might have a fantastic experience. You might also get sub-par food and bad service. If that happens you shouldn't be surprised or terribly upset. You gambled and that often involves losing. Patronizing an outfitter, guide, or transporter who has a checkered report card (or even worse) is how you increase your odds of coming home disillusioned....dead animal or not.

Words to live be

 

[OLE1021]

I just got home last night from Kotzebou. flew in with Arctic Air, and it could not have been better. They dropped us on a lake by ourselves with caribou all around us. The service after was great. Keep in mind they can not control the weather that dictates animal movement, pick up and drop off. I would be more worried of a hunting service that talks trash about competing businesses. I highly recommend AA, they were top notch.

 

[gelton]

 

[KChunter71]

I just got home last night from Kotzebou. flew in with Arctic Air, and it could not have been better. They dropped us on a lake by ourselves with caribou all around us. The service after was great. Keep in mind they can not control the weather that dictates animal movement, pick up and drop off. I would be more worried of a hunting service that talks trash about competing businesses. I highly recommend AA, they were top notch.

Did you harvest one or have any pictures of your trip? Funny this is your first post. But, please post a trip report as I feel you know someone from AA.

 

[OLE1021]

Did you harvest one or have any pictures of your trip? Funny this is your first post. But, please post a trip report as I feel you know someone from AA.

IM NOT VERY COMPUTER SAVEY. I WAS LUCKY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO CREATE AN ACCOUNT TO POST ON THIS PAGE. I CAN ASSURE YOU I AM NOT RELATED OR CONNECTED TO AA IN ANY WAY EXCEPT AS A CUSTOMER LAST WEEK. MY WIFE AND I BOTH SHOT GREAT CARIBOU

 

[OLE1021]

HERE ARE A CPL PICTURES

 

[NUGGET]

IM NOT VERY COMPUTER SAVEY. I WAS LUCKY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO CREATE AN ACCOUNT TO POST ON THIS PAGE. I CAN ASSURE YOU I AM NOT RELATED OR CONNECTED TO AA IN ANY WAY EXCEPT AS A CUSTOMER LAST WEEK. MY WIFE AND I BOTH SHOT GREAT CARIBOU

Woah woah woah calm down no need to yell

 

[OLE1021]

Woah woah woah calm down no need to yell

HA, SORRY MAN
CAPS LOCK IS ALWAYS ON ON MY COMPUTER, ONCE AGAIN NOT A COMPUTER GUY

NOT YELLING

 

[Unbridled]

Maybe you can tell me which lake you were at? We are headed out this weekend. Can’t wait!

I was previously thought to be related too, because I’d asked for further information.

 

[montee77]

We flew with artic air last year & and overall I think the experience was good we all 3 shot bulls, we were the last group to be flown out. This was the 2 diy caribou hunt I have done, we flew with BRA in 2016.
I know that Sheila & Mike get a bad wrap for things that happened in the past, I don't really want to get into that.
But i think mike served his time and payed for his mistakes. I know in 2019 the caribou migration was late due to weather and they were having camps close trying to get people animals. We did see 2 other camp both 3 miles south and north of us but it never affected our hunting. Both camps were different outfitter's, they were in wheeled planes landing on the river banks. Artic Air doesn't have wheeled planes. Anyone planning a bou hunt I would go later in September rather than earlier from my experience. We flew out on September 14-21, Seen probably 2000 caribou in 7 days.

 

[OLE1021]

Maybe you can tell me which lake you were at? We are headed out this weekend. Can’t wait!

I was previously thought to be related too, because I’d asked for further information.

I'm sorry I dont know the name of the lake we were on. Once you are up there you will understand, there are lakes everywhere you look. You will have a blast. Hunt hard and enjoy yourself. You will kill a great bou'

 

[Otty0914]

Well, just got back home yesterday. My fiancé and I were both successful and had a great experience with Arctic Air. I know some guys were not happy the week before we went in it was hot and they said they didn't see much. I can tell you the first 3-4 days we saw well over 200-300 caribou ranging in distance up to 2 miles away. The weather turned cold and they started moving. My fiancé killed a good bull on day 3 and I killed one on day 5 leaving the remaining time to enjoy the Alaska wilderness camping experience. Sheila was awesome and always available to communicate and questions or concerns before during and after our trip. The guys that shuttled us around Chris and TJ were top notch and always making sure we were taken care of and thanked us for being prepared to go into the field at weight and no fumbling through gear and wearing 20 layers to get extra stuff in. We hunted hard and took animals at 1.3 miles (as the crow flies) and 1.8 miles from our camp. Made for some long days of packing out animals but we enjoyed every minute of it. These were our first caribou and they were true trophies to us. Not monster record book bulls but we set out a goal to take the bulls that made us happy and we did that. When we flew out TJ and Chris loaded the meat into boxes and sealed them for us, we wrapped our antlers and they shuttled us to the airport the next morning. We stayed at the Nullagvik hotel great place to stay and they allow you to store your meat in their freezer set at 28 degrees if you have a reservation. Checked all meat boxes at the airport for 23 hrs of flights and layovers and when we open the boxes at home the meat was still cold. All hides and meat were in great shape. I will be booking with Arctic Air again in 2022.

 

[Otty0914]

 

[Otty0914]

 

[Otty0914]

We also caught over 50 grayling in the lake we were camped on. We saw 1 grizzly a mile and a half away (exactly how I wanted to see one) and a giant bull moose walking down the creek close by. We saw the northern lights one night and just had the best trip I could have ever asked for.

 

[mabrams]

We also caught over 50 greyling in the lake we were camped on. We saw 1 grizzly a mile and a half away (exactly how I wanted to see one) and a giant bull moose walking down the creek close by. We saw the northern lights one night and just had the best trip I could have ever asked for.

Not much more one could ask for. Glad you had an amazing trip.

 

[OLE1021]

Well, just got back home yesterday. My fiancé and I were both successful and had a great experience with Arctic Air. I know some guys were not happy the week before we went in it was hot and they said they didn't see much. I can tell you the first 3-4 days we saw well over 200-300 caribou ranging in distance up to 2 miles away. The weather turned cold and they started moving. My fiancé killed a good bull on day 3 and I killed one on day 5 leaving the remaining time to enjoy the Alaska wilderness camping experience. Sheila was awesome and always available to communicate and questions or concerns before during and after our trip. The guys that shuttled us around Chris and TJ were top notch and always making sure we were taken care of and thanked us for being prepared to go into the field at weight and no fumbling through gear and wearing 20 layers to get extra stuff in. We hunted hard and took animals at 1.3 miles (as the crow flies) and 1.8 miles from our camp. Made for some long days of packing out animals but we enjoyed every minute of it. These were our first caribou and they were true trophies to us. Not monster record book bulls but we set out a goal to take the bulls that made us happy and we did that. When we flew out TJ and Chris loaded the meat into boxes and sealed them for us, we wrapped our antlers and they shuttled us to the airport the next morning. We stayed at the Nullagvik hotel great place to stay and they allow you to store your meat in their freezer set at 28 degrees if you have a reservation. Checked all meat boxes at the airport for 23 hrs of flights and layovers and when we open the boxes at home the meat was still cold. All hides and meat were in great shape. I will be booking with Arctic Air again in 2022.

CONGRATS ON A GREAT HUNT. GLAD YOU ENJOYED YOURSELVES.

 

[Otty0914]

Oh, I forgot about Mike! The other owner and pilot for our trip. He was very nice, this being our first trip he explained why we were in the area we were in. He explained the migration patterns and how they summer here and winter there and pointed out different cuts and valleys that were successful this year and in past years. He made sure we had everything before we went into the field and just like any other business man appreciated that we were ready to go when it was time to go and we were ready on the beach to get stuff in the plane and head back when it was time to leave the field. I understand time is money to these folks and I appreciated all they did.

 

[Otty0914]

 

[Otty0914]